What quickly turned into a free speech and political issue was about neither. It’s about lax school supervision, which enabled an act that never should have happened.
Last night’s football game at North Stanley (NC) High School was canceled because of safety concerns.
A large group of folks situated in a field across the street from the field protested–but not about canceling the game. According to protester Jeremy Onitreb, “In this country, we have the right to support who we want, and that’s what this is about.” Onitreb and the others were protesting the decision by the North Carolina Athletic Association that put North Stanley’s cheerleaders on probation.
Why? In late August, cheerleaders held up a ‘Trump 2020’ sign during a football game.
Courtesy WBTV
At high school events, the Association deems any political display as inappropriate. Onitreb stresses that his group’s objection is not that the sign was about Trump, but that the Association’s ruling violates the cheerleaders’ First Amendment rights. Another member of Onitreb’s group, Dana Knox, put it this way: “I believe they [cheerleaders] have a right to free speech.”
In canceling the game, Superintendent Dr. Jeff James cited a “potential threat against the school,” which he later deemed “unsubstantiated.” By then, though, the game had been canceled.
What do I think about this series of events? First of all, I do not want to comment on whether cheerleaders’ rights were violated. A discussion of First Amendment rights at a public school event is complex, and I’m not going to argue either for or against. Neither do I want to argue for or against the state athletic association’s decision.
But I will say this.
Courtesy: Wilson Times
Every formal public school activity has an adult supervisor in place–a coach, sponsor, or somebody else with title or position. Principals, assistant principals, teachers, and others are also present to act as supervisors or–at the very least–as ‘tuned-in’ spectators.
North Stanley High School is no exception. So where was the cheerleader’s sponsor/coach when these young people thought that displaying any political sign was a good (cool) idea?
Some adult with authority had to have been present when the video, which went viral, was being made. That means a responsible party (or two) enabled cheerleaders to engage in an act that’s disallowed by an overseeing athletic association. Those adults stood by while a video was being made.
Was he, she, or they part of the ‘cool act’ of displaying a political sign? Did a well-liked parent (or two) let these young women hold up the sign? Was the sign a teenager’s idea? And, very importantly, who provided the sign?
High school supervisors play a critical role (photo, Times-Union)
I don’t know the answers. But what I do know from my years of teaching, coaching, and administrative experience that adult supervision was lacking. Now students suffer the consequences.
So often in schools, a teacher, coach, or principal will make an error in decision/judgment, and one or more students will pay for it. As far as I know (in this case), that supervisor was not held responsible by the state association. The local school district wasn’t held responsible, either.
Perhaps the North Stanley principal had a serious talk with the cheerleading coach. I hope so. And I hope the principal had a serious conversation with all of North Stanley’s teachers, coaches, and club sponsors. They all need to be aware of state expectations and rules.
It matters not what name the sign carried. What does matter is this: some young and foolish students did something that they thought was a good idea. They–like all students–should be allowed that margin. But, once again, students suffer the consequences for an adult’s laziness and poor thought.
Shame on us.
